


Miracle Worker

by seeleybooth0



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Vampire, F/M, I'm Bad At Tagging, Love Triangles, Pre-Canon, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:08:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24448630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seeleybooth0/pseuds/seeleybooth0
Summary: Four years after attack on Shiganshina, Commander Erwin, relatively new to his position, gets fatally injured during an excursion. Wondering how to continue now that he may be out of the picture, Petra, a new addition to Levi's squad, comes forward with a possible solution.There's rumors of a Miracle Worker who saves lives, helping the poor and the needy, those that can't afford normal medical care. She sneaks in at night, and when they wake up, it's as if they were never sick, never injured, better than ever before. And luckily for them, Petra knows who the miracle worker is.However, getting her to help them is just the beginning of a difficult path, filled with secrets and maybe even the supernatural.
Relationships: Erwin Smith/Original Character(s), Erwin Smith/Original Female Character(s), Erwin Smith/Reader, Levi/Petra Ral
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	Miracle Worker

chapter 1: the deal

“I’m sorry Commander Erwin,” the nurse said softly, “But I’m afraid you probably won’t live past tomorrow. The most we can do is try to make you comfortable.”

Erwin looked down at his hands, still feeling the pain of his heavy injuries despite the pain relievers they had given him. He had been severely injured during the last battle, the titan managing to grab him, the squeezing of its hands causing internal damage. Levi had managed to kill the thing before it could eat him, but it appeared the damage had already been done.

“I understand,” he said calmly, “I would appreciate it if you kept that part quiet for now, I’d like to consider replacements and future plans, so that the transition to the next commander will be seamless.”

“Of course, Commander,” the nurse said, preparing to walk out the room, but she hesitated as she reached the door, “This may be out of place, but…”

Erwin looked at her, nodding slightly to allow her to continue. Her eyes softened, and she said, “Don’t spend the entirety of your last hours working, please allow yourself some time to rest and to see the people you care about.”

“I appreciate your concern,” he said, “But I need to ensure the future of humanity, I can rest when I’m dead.”

She nodded, her eyes still sad, but she left the room, allowing him to drown in his thoughts. He had already decided that Hange would replace him as commander, and he knew that Levi would support her completely. However, he was worried at the ability of just the two of them to levy the power and support of the entirety of the Scout Regiment, never mind the other branches. Hange was too overdramatic and excitable, given the recent events in Shiganshina, and Levi, while respected by many soldiers, was simply not a people person. The population behind the walls was relying on them, and after so many innocent lives were lost in the “efforts” to regain the wall, a glorified name for population control, and with the death of the newly appointed commander, rallying support was going to be difficult. He wasn’t sure if the two of them could accomplish it.

He was so lost in thought that he hadn’t heard someone come in. A clearing of the throat drew his attention to Levi, who was standing next to him, eyes serious. Behind him was a girl, he thought her name was Petra, but he was unsure why the girl would accompany him here.

Levi addressed, “You might never be able to see battle again, even after your recovery period. Your injuries may cause long-term damages.”

Erwin simply nodded. While he had no problem telling Levi the news, he wanted to tell him in fact, he did not want to reveal it in front of subordinate soldiers quite yet. Instead he said, “Yes, I’m trying to plan for the future as much as possible now, so that we aren’t affected more than necessary. The most difficult task will be gathering support.”

“I see,” Levi said, “Are you in pain?”

“The medicine is helping,” Erwin said, “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“Can you move?” Levi asked another question. Erwin’s eyes narrowed. He knew Levi, and he knew he was up to something. He glanced at the woman behind him, who looked slightly uneasy, but she also had a determined look in her eye.

“It might be difficult, but I suppose I can, although I don’t think the nurses would be very happy about it,” Erwin said, “What is this about?”

“Petra knows someone,” Levi said, face staying straight, not betraying anything, “I haven’t met them, and I don’t know whether it’s a good idea, but I figured I’d let her talk to you about it.”

Erwin shifted his attention to the woman. She was relatively new, but she had strong potential, enough that Levi had her on his team. He knew that Levi carefully weighed his decisions, but he didn’t know what Levi meant when he said she knew someone.

Petra stepped forward, “Sir, I know of a healer. She’s known as a miracle worker, she helped to save a lot of lives after Shiganshina. While nobody really knows how she does it, they know she exists.”

“If she’s such a miracle worker, why hasn’t the government asked her to work with them yet,” he asked.

“That’s the thing, sir, nobody knows who she is. According to the legends, she comes like a phantom in the night, helping people in their sleep. Their injuries, and even diseases, are cured overnight, and the next day they wake up completely healthier, sometimes even better than they were before.”

“I had heard about her in the Underground, as well,” Levi said, “She helped many of the sick women and children in the area.”

Erwin cocked an eyebrow, it seems this urban legend was very popular, at least amongst the poor. Maybe she simply wanted to help those people that couldn’t afford proper medical attention, an honorable goal, but she could still help the army, as well. “Well, if nobody knows who she is, then why are you bringing her up to me now?”

“Well, I think she can help you,” Petra said, “And I happen to know her personally, I’ve known her since I was a child.”

Erwin’s eyes widened, “Then why have you not recruited her to join us earlier?”

“That’s not it, sir,” Petra said, “She won’t join us, she doesn’t want to have anything to do with the government or the military, understandably so. I’m afraid I cannot say more than that. However, if we were to bring you to her, I think that she might be willing to heal you.”

Levi continued, “I already expressed my concern at her unknown practices, but Petra assures me that they are harmless, and that the woman monitors any possible side-effects for a few days to ensure nothing bad happens.”

Erwin considered it. If he could be saved, the Survey Corps would have a far better chance. Of course, he had faith in his people, but a blow like this could severely hurt their chances of support from the other branches of the military and from the public.

“I see,” Erwin said, “So you want to take me to meet her, and I might possibly be healed, avoiding a long recovery period, and I will also be able to fight in the future.”

“Yes,” Petra said.

“Very well, I’m willing to meet with her, at the very least,” Erwin said. With only a day left, he didn’t have much time to weigh his options. A visit would not hurt him anymore than he already was, and he could write down some possible plans and his line of succession down earlier.

“We have to go after midnight,” Petra said, “And there’s a couple other things, well mainly one thing.”

Levi narrowed his eyes at her, and Erwin could tell that she hadn’t told him this yet.

“It’s nothing bad, but,” Petra began, “If she agrees to meet you and decides to help you, she will only do so, if you promise not to tell anyone about her.”

“Why not?” Erwin asked, suspicious at the secrecy around her.

“I can’t tell you more than that,” Petra said, “If she decides to help, it will be her way or no way. She has her reasons for doing so, valid reasons, I assure you. When you meet her, you can try to ask questions, and she may answer some, or she may not, but that would be the tradeoff for it.”

Erwin sighed, an unknown way of saving lives, but a chance at survival and even return to the battlefield, and maybe one day, a journey to the truth. He could simply ask questions, and he was generally a good judge of character. Meeting her didn’t mean he had to agree to the treatment, but it was better than sitting around waiting for death.

“You trust her?” Erwin asked Petra.

“With my life,” she said, “I’m one of the people she saved, and she trusted me with her story and her abilities.”

Erwin then turned to Levi, gesturing to Petra, “And do you trust her?”

Levi said, “She’s a good soldier, I trust her judgement.”

Erwin sighed again, wiping a hand across his face, “Very well, we’ll leave at sundown. You’ll have to try to sneak me out of here.”

They nodded, and then they left the room. He turned to the notebook in front of him, outlining the best steps for the Survey Corps in the event of his death. If tonight ended poorly, he would not leave his men without a plan. He believed, deep down, Hange could be trusted with this duty.

He received a few more visitors, Hange and Mike being some of them, and he continued his planning between visitors, waiting for sundown. He received his dinner, specially made for him on what was supposed to be his last day, and slept for a while, waiting for the time to come, and when it finally arrived, Petra and Levi came for him.

They were wearing cloaks, not the Survey Corps cloaks, but regular ones. They quickly handed one to Erwin and helped him off the bed, holding him steady as they moved through the hallways. Most people were in bed, asleep, the curfew being midnight in the barracks, allowing them to move undetected. They reached a cart, two horses in front of it, and Petra hopped in the front, leaving Levi and Erwin in the cart. They then began their journey to the mystery healer woman. Erwin couldn’t help but feel that tonight would change things.

~.~.~

Mila was cleaning up the bar, collecting the tips left in random places, and putting away the bottles of alcohol, and other things, that hadn’t been finished. The night had been successful, her regulars coming to enjoy their nightly drinks. In addition to being a traditional bar for the neighborhood drinkers to enjoy their nights and drink their sorrows, it was a safe space for people like her.

She was humming while she cleaned when she heard the horse and cart outside. She tuned in, listening as they approached her front door. She narrowed her eyes, approaching the door, ready for anything, until she caught the scent of her old friend.

Whipping the door open, she caught the girl up in a quick hug, exclaiming quietly, “Oh Petra! You’ve finally come to visit. I haven’t heard from you, so I was worried something had happened.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but trust me I’m fine, and I take it everywhere with me,” Petra said, holding onto the necklace she always wore, a warm look on her face.

Shortly after though, her faced turned serious, her eyes turning to look behind her, towards the cart. Mila followed her gaze, looking towards the cart, as well, and picking up on the scent of two men. One of them smelled heavily of blood. She turned to her friend, looking slightly annoyed, “Petra…”

“Please,” she said, “It’s the commander. The Scouts can’t afford to lose his leadership. His injury is so bad that after he recovers, he likely won’t be able to fight again. We would lose so much more than just him.”

Mila sighed, she had figured that Petra joining the military might lead to something like this, but she had promised to help her if she should ever need it. She supposed she could at least hear them out. “Alright, bring them inside, quickly.”

She watched the men as they entered. The injured man was tall blonde and blue eyed, and apparently, he was the Commander of the Scout Regiment, most likely a quite capable man. Petra obviously had respect for him, seeing as she was willing to bring him here, knowing how she felt about the military. He seemed to be observing her, as well, despite the obvious pain he must be feeling. She could smell death on him, which changed the situation, as she could feel herself already leaning towards helping the dying man before her, unable to keep her compassion at bay. One of his arms was in a splint, and one of his legs was completely straight, most likely in some kind of splint, making him limp as he held onto the other man for support.

The man holding the Commander up was rather short, with dark hair and piercing eyes, who also seemed to be staring at her out of the corner of his eye as he tried to position the commander in the chair. He seemed strong, despite his stature, and she could tell from the way Petra looked at him that she greatly respected this man, as well. Mila sighed, she hadn’t realized tonight would get so complicated.

“You didn’t tell us this miracle worker also owned a bar,” Levi said, scrunching his nose.

“If you have any complaints your free to leave,” she said coldly. Although her compassionate side was making itself known, she also had to keep in mind her reasons for staying away from the military, “That would be _without_ the miracle of course.”

The man shot her an annoyed look, which she returned with a small smirk, her eyes narrowed.

“Now, Petra, please fill me in, we can go to the back,” Mila said. Levi opened his mouth to talk, only to be cut off by Mila, “I said Petra, not you.”

Petra sent a calming smile in the man’s direction before going to join her in the back room. She addressed Mila, “The blonde is Commander Erwin Smith and the other is Captain Levi Ackermann. The Commander was severely hurt during an expedition and suffered internal bleeding among other things. Even after a long recovery period, he might not be able to return to battle if only given normal medical treatments. I was hoping you could expedite the process, and if you do it, he’ll be able to return to the field.”

“I see,” Mila responded, recalling the state the man had been in. He seemed to have a broken leg, a couple broken ribs, possibly a broken arm, as well as other injuries. The stench of blood was strong, most likely from his movement from the journey here causing wounds to open slightly. However, she noticed that Petra spoke of Erwin’s future, but from her eyes, he didn’t have one.“Many soldiers get hurt in the field, and you know I don’t involve myself with the military, so why should I help him and put myself at risk?”

“If we lost Commander Smith’s leadership, the Survey Corps would crumble, if you don’t save him and something like Shiganshina happens again, we’d all be doomed,” she said bluntly. Mila’s eyes widened, Petra had always been a sweet girl, and while she was always honest, she wasn’t usually so direct. Petra obviously felt strongly about the issues.

“I see,” Mila said, pushing her hair out of her face, suddenly feeling very stressed, “And you told them I won’t join the military, in any capacity, and that I will not reveal how my methods work, and that if I agree to help them, it will be on my terms, correct?”

“Yes,” Petra responded, before sheepishly adding, “They might still try to ask questions though…”

“Well, I suppose that is unavoidable,” Mila sighed, but she shot Petra a small smile, “However, they better be prepared for me to not answer.”

“I told them you might not answer anyways,” Petra said, smiling, “I wouldn’t take him here unless I thought it was absolutely necessary.”

“Okay,” Mila said, making up her mind, “I’m willing to heal him, but I have some terms. I won’t budge on them, if they don’t agree, I’m sorry, but I won’t do it.”

“I completely understand,” Petra said, “I wouldn’t expect anything else.”

Mila sighed again, way too tired, before walking back out to the main portion of the bar. It appeared the black haired man had started cleaning, making her raise her eyebrows at the bottle in his hand, “I’d appreciate it if you would _stop_ with your cleaning and not put your hands on my bottles.”

“I can’t stand this mess,” he said, once again scrunching up his nose, “How do you serve food in a place like this?”

“Simple,” she said, a deadpan expression on her face, grabbing the bottle out of his hands, “I don’t. And once again, if you have any complaints, you are free to leave or wait outside.”

Petra eyed the bottle, immediately realizing what it was and grabbing it from Mila, putting it back in its place behind the bar, attempting to look as nonchalant as possible. Levi raised a brow, “Why is she allowed to clean up?”

“Because she knows where everything goes,” Mila answered shortly, “Now, do you want to know about my possible treatment, or not?”

Levi looked prepared to argue, but said nothing else.

“Good,” she said, “Now, I am willing to give you the treatment. It will heal you completely of any injuries and illnesses, and you’ll be good as new, it’ll even help with old sore spots and any old injuries you may have.”

“Thank you,” Erwin said, he was about to continue, but Mila held up a hand.

“However, I have some terms,” she said, “1. I will closely monitor you over the following few days to ensure the treatment worked properly and that everything looks good. 2. You will stay here for 2 months to recover, so that people won’t know you were healed so quickly. 3. You will not attempt to drag me back or force me to join the military, nor will you try to force me to tell you how my treatment works. In fact, you will not try to force any information out of me, or Petra, that is not freely given. 4. Once you return, you will not come back or expect this to be a repeated service. If you have problems with any of these, you are free to refuse the treatment, but I will not compromise on this.”

“You don’t monitor your other patients for months afterwards, what makes this different?” Levi said, glaring at her.

“The difference is that I normally help those that _you people_ couldn’t care less about,” she responded angrily, “They are people that _you_ won’t listen to or help, so you aren’t concerned when some of them are magically healed. To _you people_ , they don’t matter, so I can save as many as I want, without you even realizing they were ever sick. To _you_ , it’s an urban myth, a legend. However, if your Commander were to show up magically healed from his injuries, it would call attention from all of the soldiers, military leaders, and the nobles. They would demand answers, and I do not want to have to uproot my life to avoid giving them.”

“We have expeditions planned that Erwin would be a great asset for,” Levi continued arguing, “He could be in the field, but you would rather have him here.”

“If you don’t accept my terms, then he will most definitely not be there, seeing as he would be dead,” she responded flatly.

Levi’s mouth was open to retort, but he stopped, eyes widening as he looked between her and Erwin. Erwin’s eyes were wide, mouth open, but before he could say something, Levi’s glare came back full force. He charged at Mila, pulling out one of his blades as he pinned her to the wall, “Are you threatening him?”

Mila laughed, using a portion of her strength to push the man off of her, his eyes now opening in shock at her strength, “Did you honestly not know? His injuries are fatal. Without my treatment, his chances of making it past tomorrow are close to 0.”

Levi’s face dropped, looking at Erwin, who’s eyes were still wide. Erwin, avoiding Levi’s gaze, asked, “How did you know?”

“I’m a miracle worker,” she said, “Did you really think I wouldn’t know the status of my own damn patient before agreeing to it?”

Even Petra looked shocked, having no idea that it was this severe. It certainly changed things. Making him heal faster was less of a priority than his survival, after all.

“So now you see,” she said, addressing Erwin this time, “If he were to come back after _fatal_ injuries, completely healed, suspicions would fall not only on me, but on you as well. I’m willing to do this, but my rules are final. In the end it’s your decision, and honestly, I don’t particularly care, either way. This isn’t for you, Levi, or even you, Erwin, I’m doing this as a favor to Petra.”

She wasn’t being completely honest. She would be disappointed if he rejected the option, she couldn’t help but want to help the man in front of her. If the military and the nobles started looking too closely, it wasn’t just her and Erwin that could be in danger.

“I see,” he said, clearly thinking, “Can I please have some time to think it over?”

“Of course,” she answered, visibly sagging. This entire ordeal was draining her, and she needed a fix. Luckily for her, an old friend walked through the door.

He was tall, even taller than Erwin, and he had shaggy, curly brown hair and bright brown eyes, a little mischievous twinkle present. He was wearing simple clothes and his skin was tanned from laboring in the sun. His full mouth was currently caught in a small frown, his eyebrows drawn together in concern.

“Hey, Mila, everything okay?” the man asked as he walked through the door. Levi narrowed his eyes at the man, but otherwise didn’t move.

“Hey, Liam, I’m so sorry,” she said, “I didn’t even hear you knock.”

“It’s alright, I’m sorry for just walking in,” he said, “I didn’t realize you had company, I thought we had an appointment.”

“No, it’s alright, we did, we do,” she responded.

Liam was reliable, he didn’t ask any questions, he didn’t even look around, only looking at Mila.

“Hey, Liam,” Petra smiled slightly, seeing her old friend, “It’s been a while.”

“Hey, Petra! How’ve you been,” he responded, “Glad to see you’re doing okay, but of course you would be fine.”

He took his gaze off Mila, a wide smile present now that seemed to brighten up his whole face. He moved his gaze over to Petra, briefly glancing at the two men in the room, but not saying anything to them. Levi looked pissed, still, but also in shock, leaning against the wall with a glare. Erwin, on the other hand, was obviously deep in thought, still sitting in the same chair Levi had situated him in earlier.

“You have too much faith in me,” she rolled her eyes, still smiling, “But I’ve been fine.”

He nodded, returning his attention to Mila, “Did you need to reschedule?”

“No,” Mila said, “We can handle that paperwork really quickly, come on to the back.”

They headed to the back room, Levi’s eyes watching them sharply, but Erwin still lost in thought. She suspected he had noticed the stranger, but that he at least knew better than to ask, _yet_.

Once they reached the back room, Liam wrapped a soft hand around her arm as she locked the door. When she looked at him, he had a serious look while he spoke, “Hey, Mila, are you sure everything’s okay? Those guys look like military…”

“I have it under control,” she said, a serious look in her eyes, but he could tell she wasn’t in danger, “But thank you for your concern. I’m just a little stressed right now.”

He smiled, the mischievous glint back in his eyes, “Well, I guess my donation tonight is going straight to you?”

“I’d appreciate it, if you wouldn’t mind,” she smiled tiredly.

“Anything for you, darling,” he smirked, sending her a wink.

Since he was so tall, basically looming over her, he sat down on a stool, opening his legs so she could get close. His smirk was still in place as he put his hands on her hips, drawing her closer, drawing a small smirk from her own lips, followed quickly by the quirk of one eyebrow and a small eyeroll.

“What?” he said, adding in another wink, “I’m just setting the mood.”

She laughed lightly, “You’re ridiculous.”

“Yea, I guess I am,” his smirk relaxed to a smile.

She gently placed her hand on his shoulders, looking him in the eye as one hand inched its way towards his jaw, obviously waiting. When he nodded, she moved his jaw to the side lightly, drawing her face into his neck. She placed a small kiss on it, before she felt her fangs extend out. She pierced the skin quickly, wanting to cause as little pain as possible. She heard his small moan in her ears and felt the tightening of his hands on her hips. The worst part now over, she started to suck some of his blood into her parched throat, feeling the energy coming back to her.

He drew her even closer now, keeping his breathing steady, and she held his head steady, making sure not to leave a mess of blood. Her hand entangled in his hair slightly, scratching his scalp, making him wrap his arms around her more. Practice had made it so that she could feed without spilling and without hurting her donor. The most he felt was a small tingle. She knew exactly when to stop, having taken enough blood to satisfy her, but not so much that he wouldn’t be able to make it home.

After pulling her teeth out, enunciated by another small moan and clenching of his hands on her hips, now completely drawn around her waist, she licked the small holes, watching to make sure they closed up. Then she gently brought her fang to her thumb, letting him take a few drops of blood to finish closing up the holes and to replenish his own blood supply. He seemed to take extra pleasure in that, shooting her a playful look as he sucked her thumb. She rolled her eyes, taking her hand back, but her mouth showed a playful smile.

“Feeling less stressed now?” he asked, still holding her close. She nodded, he eyes closing a bit, Liam’s blood always tasted particularly good, “Well, I have a couple other ways to help you reduce your stress if you’re interested…”

Her eyes opened in another playful smirk, putting a hand on his chest and pushing her way out of his hold, making him send her a little pout, putting his hand over his heart in mock pain.

“Your rejection wounds me far more than your bites ever did,” he said dramatically. Her snort drew out a laugh from him as he stood up, dusting off his pants, “Well, do I look presentable?”

“Yes,” she smiled, fixing his hair a bit from where she had mussed it while holding his head.

“Oh no, that won’t do,” he said, disappointment on his face, running his hands through his hair to mess it up again, “I want those guys out there to think we were up to some fun, not just boring paperwork.”

She laughed this time, once again going to fix his hair, “One of them is a possible patient.”

His face turned serious, “Just be careful, okay? If you need anything, you know where I’m at.”

“I know,” she said, turning to walk out the door, followed closely by him.

“And I do mean _anything_ ,” he whispered in her ear, a comforting hand on her back, very different from the suggestive tone of his voice.

“That won’t be necessary,” she rolled her eyes at him.

Turning her attention to the room, she saw Levi and Petra arguing heatedly in the corner before their attention turned towards her and Liam. Levi glared at her angrily, and she could feel her stress coming back, and this time, she felt a headache about to bloom, as well. Erwin was watching her, stoically, and he could see the wheels in his head turning. He didn’t seem annoyed or upset, simply contemplative.

A chuckle brought her out of her head, and she heard Liam call out as he began to walk across the room to the exit, “One day, you’ll take me up on my offer.”

She smiled lightly at him, and she heard Petra laugh at him as well. Just as she was about to respond, he said, “No, don’t answer. I’ll get my answer next time.”

With that, he left the room, whistling a little.

“So, our commander is apparently dying, and you decide to have a little play date in the back room?” Levi seethed at her. She raised an eyebrow at his working, how old did he think she was? Probably a lot younger than her actual age.

“First of all, your commander asked for some time to think, which I provided,” she said coldly, “Second, not that it is absolutely any of your concern, I simply needed him to sign some paperwork. He helped me out with a few repairs around the place a little while back. I wanted to make sure I had the right numbers, so I can pay him the correct amount.”

“At 2 in the morning?” Levi asked, still clearly mad.

“Seeing as I run a bar, I work abnormal hours,” she stated, “In fact, we’re usually still open at this hour. The only reason we closed early today was because it’s a Sunday night.”

Levi looked about to argue about, but Erwin interrupted him, “Levi, just leave it. Mila, I’ve thought about your offer. I’m willing to accept your terms.”

“Erwin!” Levi yelled, “We can’t have you out that long. You’d have to stay here, you wouldn’t even be at the command center.”

“I can help plan from here, you and Petra can bring my plans back to the barracks,” Erwin said, “She has a point, it would be suspicious if I magically got better overnight. Most doctors would have their patients stay in their care until they have a clean bill of health, so it would make sense why I wouldn’t be able to return.”

“Screw that and screw them!” Levi shouted, “We haven’t let it spread past the Scout Regiment that you’re even injured, we could contain it. Most people don’t know how bad it is. Two months is too long.”

“Two months is actually rather generous to come back from these injuries completely fine,” Erwin said, “And it’s either two months or forever.”

Levi growled, looking over at Mila, “And you! As if we’re not going to ask any questions or ask you to help us at the barracks, do you realize how many you could help if you stopped being so biased against the military?”

“It is _none_ of your business my reasons,” she said, “And quite frankly even this deal is none of your concern, this is between me, Petra, and Erwin. You were simply the muscle to get him here.”

Levi approached her, once again drawing his blade, “And who’s to say I don’t just force you to give him his treatment and then force you to tell me what it is or how it works. We could arrest you and keep you until you agree to help us.”

She was now done playing games. Grabbing the blade between her fingers, she muttered darkly, “I would like to see you try.”

Moving faster than Levi thought possible, but still not at her full speed, she moved out of the way, driving the blade into the wall. It was stuck to the point that even Levi couldn’t pull it out, instead having to eject the blade. He went to equip another one, but her voice stopped him, “If you try to hold a blade to me one more time, I will make you leave. My offer may leave the table as well if you keep acting like this.”

“Levi, enough,” Erwin said, “You said you trusted Petra’s judgement. She believes in this woman, and Petra thinks I should agree to this. I believe it’s worth it. Even if the treatment doesn’t work, it doesn’t change anything. Either I take the treatment and have a chance of surviving and rejoining the battle against the titans for the truth, or I die tomorrow. And I highly doubt she’d be able to give me any treatment if you tortured her.”

The reality of the situation finally seemed to hit Levi. He begrudgingly lowered his hands, leaning back against the wall. He was still surprised she managed to escape his grip not once, but twice, and on top of that she struck the wall so hard with his blade that he was unable pull it out, despite her awkward position and the use of only her fingers. However, he would have to trust Petra, and he would have to trust Erwin. It really wasn’t his decision.

“As if he could,” the girl scoffed, “The day that man tortures me is the day that hell snows over.”

Levi glared at her, but he didn’t do anything else.

“Very well,” she said, moving to the backroom once again, “Well, come with me.”

She gestured to Petra to help her, and the two of them managed to get Erwin on his feet. Petra then walked in front, opening the door for them. Levi moved to follow as well, but Petra sent him a look, shaking her head. Normally, she wouldn’t dream of it, but Mila was dangerously close to snapping, and while she most likely wouldn’t hurt him, it would still be better to avoid that.

“Levi,” Mila said, looking at him, “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask that you stay here. I don’t trust you with the knowledge of how my treatment works.”

He glared, but Erwin looked at him with a calm smile, “It’s okay, Levi, I’ll be fine.”

~.~.~

Erwin held onto Mila, his arm around her shoulders, and her arm wrapped around his waist, holding him up. Despite their difference in stature, she didn’t appear to have any problem holding him up, and he felt relatively stable. They followed Petra into the back room, and he observed it.

It was clean, a stool in the corner next to a small table, some paperwork spread out over it. It seemed to mostly be filled with bottles of alcohol stored neatly along the walls, some brands he recognized, while other were new. In the corner of the room was a staircase, which Petra was already at the bottom of. They walked up the stairs in silence to what he assumed was Mila’s home.

The stairs opened up to a living room, again, only simple, neat furniture crafted of wood stood in the room. They went to a door to the left and came to another simple room, this time a bedroom, where Mila softly sat him down on the bed.

“I guess you don’t exactly have hospital rooms here, huh?” Erwin tried to joke, but the effort from today was getting to him, the medicine wearing off, and the pain intensifying. His small, forced laugh led to a coughing fit, leading Petra to quickly grab him a glass of water.

“No, I usually treat my patients at their home while they’re asleep,” she answered, “That way, they don’t see me.”

Erwin had gulped down the glass of water before responding, “Yes, I’ve heard you’re quite the mystery woman.”

She just nodded, saying, “I’d appreciate it if you’d close your eyes while I get the treatment.”

He nodded, closing his eyes and laying down fully on the bed. He was starting to feel tired, maybe he could just fall asleep and she could treat him in his sleep like her other patients. He was sure she would prefer that, but he wasn’t sure how his curiosity would like it. Although, he supposed he’d have 2 months to try to convince her to tell him.

She had said they couldn’t force her, but she never said he couldn’t ask. He was also pretty smart, so he was sure he’d figure it out. He had been studying her since he met her, being the enigma she was, he needed to know if he could trust her. Obviously, she helped people meaning she had some level of goodness to her, but anyone as hesitant as she was around the police had something to hide. He suspected that her distaste was rooted in the treatment of the poor and needy, based on her earlier argument with Levi. She felt safe helping them, because she assumed that the military would never notice or pay attention to or care about the sick and injured in poorer neighborhoods, and he couldn’t honestly say she was wrong.

He did, however, agree, that drawing too much suspicion during such uncertain times would only hinder the Scout Regiment’s movements, which is why he agreed to the 2-month period. If anything, he could push their expeditions back and use the time to come up with more detailed plans, as well as allow Hange to work on some of the projects she’d been complaining she’d fallen behind on. They could use the time to train the new cadets a bit more too.

She’d also watched how Mila had interacted with both Petra and the man, Liam. They both seemed completely at ease and comfortable with her, and it seemed Petra knew Liam as well. Perhaps Mila’s trusted circle ran small, but Mila’s reactions to both were also filled with respect and loyalty. She seemed to be the kind of person you wanted to have with you, not against you. Even if she didn’t join the military in some capacity, he’d rather not make an enemy of her.

Petra had seemed slightly worried when Levi tried to go interrupt Mila and the man earlier. He wasn’t sure if Mila had been completely honest about the paperwork, but she was correct that it wasn’t their business. He had noticed how much more relaxed she seemed after leaving the backroom, and that the man’s demeanor had remained easy-going and non-threatening during the duration of his stay. He was obviously concerned at their presence, but he seemed to trust Mila and her judgement enough to not question it. He might have asked in the back room, but they hadn’t been back there too long, and they were both in high spirits while leaving, the man even flirting with Mila despite the tense atmosphere they walked into.

However, Mila also seemed to have a dangerous streak. He couldn’t underestimate her after her successful attempts to thwart Levi, which was not an easy feat by any means. She also clearly took his threat seriously and was prepared to combat it. Even Petra had spoken up against Levi at the end, and her respect for Levi was unparalleled. He was sure she wasn’t someone to mess with. He might need to be cautious of that over the coming months, but for now, he just needed to survive, and it looked like this was his only chance.

With that thought, he succumbed to the rising pain and exhaustion his body felt and drifted off to sleep.

~.~.~

“Mila, he fell asleep,” Petra said softly.

Mila turned around from the cupboard she was at to look at Petra. She was leaning against the doorway, watching her.

“Well, that’ll make it easier to give it to him without him knowing what it is,” she sighed.

“He’ll likely spend the entire two months asking you questions,” Petra said, “I don’t know him very well, but I do know that he’s very curious.”

Mila let out an exasperated chuckle, “I hope he’s used to hearing the word no, then. This’ll be one thing he won’t get the answer to.”

“I don’t think it’s the only one,” Petra said, sighing, “But I understand. I do think he’s trustworthy, though, for what it’s worth.”

“It’s worth a lot,” Mila said, “And I appreciate you bringing him to me, instead of just giving him yours.”

“I would never do that, and you know it,” Petra said, narrowing her eyes, slightly hurt at the accusation.

“And that’s why I trusted you with that necklace in the first place,” Mila said, eyeing the small vial with kind eyes.

Petra grabbed it, “It gives me comfort on the field, I feel like I have a piece of you there with me.”

“Technically, you do,” Mila joked.

She turned back around to the cabinet, the fake back already unscrewed from her earlier work. She reached in to grab a vial similar to the one around Petra’s neck. She looked at it, closing her hand around it, once again turning around to face her friend, “I’m sorry if I made things awkward with your captain. I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble at work.”

“Don’t worry, I can handle it,” Petra said, “And he was out of line anyways, I’m sure he’ll realize that later. He’s just worried, Erwin’s all he really has left, I think.”

Mila raised her brow, “Well that’s not entirely true, he does have you after all.”

Petra blushed, “Oh no, I’m just his subordinate. That’s all.”

“So you brought his best friend to me to heal as just his subordinate,” Mila questioned, leaning across the table slightly, a cheeky smile now present on her face.

Petra squeaked, “No, I already told you-“

“Yea, yea, humanity is doomed without Commander Smith, I get it,” Mila laughed, standing up straight again. She made her way quickly back to the guest bedroom, outfitted with only the bare necessities: a bed, a small bedside table, and a dresser.

Just as Petra said, he was sleeping, still on top of the covers. His face was mostly peaceful, but there were small twitches, most likely from the pain. She noticed that he was actually quite handsome, despite his current pale skin and the sweat on his face. The stench of approaching death was getting stronger, much more present now than when he first arrived.

She sighed, she should hurry. She opened up the vial slowly, making sure not to spill the thick red liquid inside. Then, she gently, so as not to wake him up, opened his mouth slightly. When it was open enough, she poured the entire vial into his mouth, trying to avoid his tongue and teeth as much as possible. She saw him swallow in his sleep and moved back.

The effect, as always, was almost immediate, the sweating decreased, and some color returned to his face. She slowly moved to his bandages, taking them off and removing the sling around his arm. She gently felt up his broken leg, feeling where the break was currently healing. She saw the bruises and cuts around his ribs fading, and she felt at his broken arm to find the healing area. It was healing, that was for sure, but the bones were healing slower than usual, most likely due to the sheer number of injuries he was suffering from.

Returning to the kitchen, she grabbed another vial, putting the used one back to be refilled later, and returned to Erwin. She repeated the process, and this time, she could feel the bones completely healed through his skin. The stench of death was completely gone now, leaving only the scent of dried blood from his earlier cuts, sweat, and something that smelled very good.

‘ _His blood smells pretty good too, though,’_ she thought to herself, before shaking her head. She nodded at Petra, who had watched the entire thing silently, and the girl sighed in relief and happiness.

“We should leave him to sleep, even with the treatment, his body went through a lot of energy to heal itself that quickly,” she said, “I’ll go put this away, and then we can bring Levi up to see his commander. I’m sure he’s going crazy.”

She quickly returned the vial, re-screwing on the fake panel at the back of the cupboard and closing it. She’d have to refill both vials later, but not while she had a hot-headed midget in her bar. She nodded at Petra, signaling that she could go down, and then she made her way back into the guest room, dragging one of the kitchen chairs with her.

While her body felt fine due to her snack earlier, her heart felt drained. Dealing with Levi had been a pain, and although she was happy to see Petra, and she was happy she was able to help her and help this man in need, the idea of having a military commander in her home for the next couple months was not something she was looking forward to.

Even if it was her idea.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi friends! Welcome to my new story :) So, this is kind of a reader/oc story. I prefer giving the "reader" a name, mainly because it makes it easier to write and doesn't disrupt the flow of the story, feel free to replace it with your own name of course! I hope you enjoy this story and let me know what you think!


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